Early Preschool: Our Shooting Stars (2 to 3 year olds)

Our Shooting Stars have an amazing amount of boundless energy and an innate sense of curiosity of the world around them. Our Shooting Star room is all about ME! Children know who they are and feel powerful in making their own choices. Your early preschooler will be working towards several self-help skills. Introducing potty training, encouraging parallel play, promoting self-feeding with spoons and open cups, are only a small part of the autonomy that your little one will accomplish. Our energetic teachers are eager to foster and support this need for independence while providing numerous opportunities for the children to make safe choices in a stimulating environment. In addition, our positive reinforcement, hugs, praise, kind words and simple rewards help make this journey to independence both encouraging and successful. We know how important communication is during this advancement in learning and work very closely with both child and family to make sure there is consistency between home and school. Our Shooting Star curriculum goals help our early preschool children develop the skills necessary to become independent learners. . Busy as the two’s may be, our teachers can keep up and cherish the opportunity to be a part of your early preschoolers’ bright independence.

Our Shooting Star Curriculum Goals

Math and Manipulative

“Mango” the Monkey

Counting

Beginning to explore sets of manipulatives to develop an understanding of more/less

Extending simple AB patterns

Developing vocabulary to describe an object’s size or color

Sorting by size or color, developing an understanding of simple spatial vocabulary

Identifying shapes and colors

Putting together two halves to create a whole.

Communication and Literacy

“Petunia” the Polar Bear

Building vocabulary by participating in conversations about play and books

Answering simple questions

Understanding spatial vocabulary

Following simple step directions

Listening to stories

Filling in missing pieces of familiar rhymes

Using simple pronouns correctly

Connecting stories and events to own life

Beginning to explore the letters of the alphabet

Sensory, Science and Technology

“Airy” the Astronaut

Participating in science observations

Using vocabulary to compare objects’ sizes

Exploring objects using five senses

Developing an understanding that animals and plants are living things

Tracking daily weather

Discussing objects in the daytime and nighttime sky

Describing simple features of land

Art, Music and Dramatic Play

“Rainbow” the Armadillo

Identifying loud and soft sounds and fast and slow tempos

Moving to music

Holding crayon to make scribbles on paper

Making prints using a variety of material

Expressing a preference for music and art

Participating in dramatic play experiences that begins to mimic real world experiences

Health, Large and Small Motor Development

“Lunar” the Dolphin

Exhibiting spatial awareness

Walking with control and balance

Standing on one foot

Jumping in place

Copying simple body movements

Stacking cubes

Lacing large beads

Beginning to use scissors

Folding paper

Dumping and pouring

Creating vertical and horizontal lines

Beginning to create complete circles

Completing simple puzzles

Social and Environmental Studies

“Tundra” Turtle

Demonstrating an awareness of being part of a family and a class

Identifying members of immediate family and discussing the importance of family

Beginning to recognize that there are other cultures with different traditions and languages

Identifying community members that keep people safe

Beginning to recognize individual contributions to a group

Participating in discussions about basic wants

Beginning to demonstrate an understanding of today and tomorrow and understanding that there is a sequence to the day

Recognizing the beginning of an event

Describing rooms in the home and demonstrating a familiarity with the classroom

Developing a basic understanding of nature

Beginning to develop an understanding of how trash is created

Curriculum and Care

Our Shooting Star curriculum supports empowering children with words and developing self-help skills. There rapidly emerging abilities require constant curriculum challenges in order keep them engaged and busy. Maintaining low ratios ensures plenty of one on one time. Weekly themed lesson plans with teacher directed hands-on activities in math, science, language, art, social, and environmental studies reinforce our academic content standards and provide a sound foundation for elementary readiness. Part of helping our early preschools become more independent is providing freedom of choice. Our teachers are aware of this fundamental need and strive to create academic learning centers from which children can choose and participate in on a daily basis. Giving children the opportunity to experience as much, in a day, as possible, is our primary goal. Starting in the early preschool room the children have scheduled weekly times to visit our schools’ specialty areas allowing extended enriched academic learning in art, science, cooking, computer, literacy, media and drama. The continuation of our daily Spanish program expands to build your child’s vocabulary enhance early understanding diversity, and cultural awareness. For your convenience detailed reports are emailed to you daily and provide information on your child’s sleeping, eating, diapering, mood and developmental activities.

Our Shooting Star Interactions

Building a trusting relationship with others is an essential part of our Shooting Star program. Our teachers are aware of this need and strive to create an environment that not only encourages academic development but also fosters your child’s social and emotional development as well. Below is a sampling of the many ways this is accomplished.

Assigning each early preschooler to a group of peers to foster bonding and consistency, while creating more social interaction

Creating a sense of safety in and outside of the classroom so they can begin to explore area opportunities freely

Providing opportunities for success that create a positive sense of self